There are several types of shopping malls categorized based on their size, offerings, target customers, and location. Fashion/specialty centers are smaller high-end malls catering to wealthy customers within 5-15 miles. Community centers are larger than neighborhood centers, have discount department stores and apparel stores, and serve areas within 3-6 miles. Lifestyle centers combine retail with leisure amenities, have a cinema as a major tenant, and are located in affluent suburbs.

1. Types of Shopping Malls

2. Fashion/Specialty Centers
• High end, fashion oriented
centers
• Catering to customers with
high income
• Approximate retail area
between 80,000 and 2,50,000
sq. ft.
• Serves an area of 5 to 15 miles

3. Community Centers
• Larger than neighborhood center and offer wider range of
goods
• Usually two types of anchors- discount department store and
large specialty/discount apparel store
• Follow a strip configuration, or may be L- or U-shaped
• Approximate area between 1,00,000 and 3,50,000 sq. ft.
• Serves primary area of 3 to 6 miles

4. Lifestyle Centers
• Combines the traditional
retail functions of
a shopping with leisure
amenities
• Does not have an anchor
tenant in the classic sense,
however has a cinema as a
major tenant
• Small collection of
exclusive shops
• Oriented towards upscale
consumers
• Labelled ‘boutique malls’,
they are often located in
affluent suburban areas

5. Outlet Centers
• Manufacturers sell their
products directly to the public
through their own stores
• Other stores - retailers selling
returned goods and discontinued
products, often at heavily
reduced prices
• Approximate area between
50,000 and 4,00,000 sq. ft.

6. Regional Centers
• Designed to service a larger area than a conventional
shopping mall
• Two or more anchors such as conventional department stores,
junior department store, mass merchant, discount department
store, or fashion apparel store
• Offers a wider selection of stores and high-end brands
• Also, found as tourist attractions in vacation areas
• Approximate area between 4,00,000 to 8,00,000 sq. ft.
• Service area up to 15 miles

7. Super-regional Centers
• Three or more anchors, such as conventional department
store, junior department store, mass merchant, or fashion
apparel store
• Mass merchant, more variety, fashion apparel, and serves as
the dominant shopping venue for the region in which it is
located
• Approximate area over 8,00,000 sq.ft.
• Service upto 25 miles

8. Theme/festival centers
• Tourist oriented
• Distinct unifying themes that are
followed by their individual shops
as well as their architecture
• Usually located in urban areas
• Approximate area between
80,000 to 2,50,000 sq.ft.